Original news was published 15 January, 2018

DP World Antwerp Gateway is about to receive its two final STS cranes, bringing its quayside crane complement to eleven.

The two Liebherr cranes, with a total € 21M price tag, will arrive at the Deurganckdok terminal on 16th and 20th January, having been assembled at the Delwaidedok since last August.

The cranes were disclosed by Liebherr in WorldCargo News' July 2016 STS crane survey. Lifting height above rail is 52m and waterside oureach from waterside rail is 68m, sufficient for a 25-wide deck stow at Deurganckdok.

They will become operational by late February, taking the terminal’s annual capacity to 2.8 M TEU.

Later this year, the last of three 23-wide ZPMC STS gantries will be raised 7m. Five 20-wide Kalmar gantries have already been extended to reach 23 across.

Antwerp Gateway comments that is now is fully geared to handle 20,000 TEU-plus container ships. Offering an ‘anytime’ accessibility for ships with a 13.1m draught, Deurganckdok can also accommodate ships drawing15.5m inbound when entering on the back of the right tide, and even 16m for right tide departures.

The biggest containership yet to call at Antwerp – MADRID MAERSK (20,556 TEU, June 2017) has an operational draught of 16m. In the first nine months of 2017, Antwerp has had 130 calls in the 14,000- 18,000 TEU range and another 58 in the 18,000-21,000 TEU category.

*NEWS SOURCE